The Travel Guide: Milos, Greece
Serendipity in the Cyclades.
I will keep this concise (or at least my version of that) due to the aggressive amount of pasta and crystal waters calling me in Puglia right now.
Monopoli has to be a close tie in Fave Places of Euro So Far with Milos, Greece. The Greek Islands give me analysis paralysis, because there are so many gems and you truly can't go too wrong when veering away from the big touristy trap beasts of Santorini and Mykonos. If you’re vying for tranquility, Gatorade-blue seas, and perfect food, Milos is your guy. But if it’s a bit more of a fast-paced trip that calls for the occasional dirty dance floor, shopping, and ridiculous vistas, maybe Paros is for you (a guide to which will come next).
I’ve also heard phenom things about the likes of Naxos, Sifnos, Zakynthos, Corfu, Crete, and Antiparos (just do a 15min ferry day trip from Paros — sadly we were too hung for this plan in the end, RIP). There is only so much time a gal has in the Mediterranean! Alas, we cannot island-hop them all.
My BF and I did four nights in each and truth be told I could have whiled a week or MORE away in Milos. The hottest tip there would be: get a car. ATVs are kind of a nightmare (IMO) for beach hopping as they get so fricken hot (but then again I was a VERY spoilt passenger princess and could never personally drive on the right side of the road). You can get away with them a lot more easily in Milos (quieter roads, slow pace of life) than in the hustle-bustle of Paros life.
Also, a car serves you well on the final day post-checkout/getting back to the main port with luggage, then simply returning the car and boarding your ferry a couple hundred metres away. No lugging necessary! Okay, down to business:
Stay
We chose Polliano, a superb seaside town. The water is vividly turquoise, there is ample sand, a sprinkle of little boutiques, a few bakeries/a couple of cafes. I could run/walk in the morning effortlessly. It attracts the Aussie crowd due to its laissez-faire appeal. It has all you need, a standout spot that has truly set the benchmark for holiday bliss. Quieter, but still lined with 5-6 restaurants in the heart of the village. Stay tucked away at the end of the cove, literally ON the beach if you can…
Airbnb link to the most charming fisherman’s house on the water’s edge (with your own little private beach patch) is HERE. It was utterly idyllic, and calming, made for pensive moments staring out into the abyss and slow brekkies on the day bed. Having a beachfront at your accom is god-tier-level holidaying! You could just be on hiatus here all day if stocked up well enough with libations and snackerinos.
Our host introduced us to his family on night one and left us a generous fruit platter, vino, and snacks like a real Grecian GENT. My only word of warning is the little kitty we named Steve *and all his mates* as he will try and enter your abode every night post-dins, so just slink on in the door ever-so-slightly ajar and try to resist his little purrr.
Eat
Enalion, Polliano - nice spot smack bang on the beach (like a 5min walk from accom) for fresh fruits-of-the-sea and other delicacies. Honestly, there are just a bunch of ripper dinner locales along the water (they’re all in the one strip) and you’ll be eating well at ANY of them, so just make your way through and see what tickles your tum on the night.
Kivotos ton Gefseon - banger bakery in Polliano and also a goods store, like a little providore/artisanal treasure trove of locally-grown treats and ornate spreads. Get some signature beeswax for your cooked lips and cuticles, as well as an iced coff to fuel your day of beach-hopping and off you trot! Oh and the leek-and-cheese pie, like stop I’m actually getting emotional thinking about never having that for brekky again. If you don’t start your day with a pastry in Greece, GTFO.
O! Hamos - literally mark-my-words essential dining destination in Milos, quite arguably the best there is in the main port town Adamas. Think traditional Greek taverna style with a modern edge, heaps of tasty salads, authentic flavours, homegrown meats, and treats. Not a seafood spot, which is very rare for the island! Nice to change it up. Full of heart, and soul, quirk and good smells, held under a leafy canopy. Guests leave love letters and signatures on the chairs there in sharpies as little mementos of their visit, so she’s got HISTORY. The menu is handwritten and translated into English, telling the story of the longstanding family-run operation and getting the marrow of what makes it so special. Order fall-of-bone lamb in paper (comes with potatoes), and the greens salad. Great house wines. We went twice for lunch (second time ordering same insane salad and trying the meatballs, also delish). Can’t shake that salad from my mind, still. Go early for lunch (on Euro time, so like midday ish or 1 latest) if you want to just rock up, otherwise you might be popped down on a waitlist. You can also book.
Ergina, Trypti - (just down the street from Okto mentioned below) go here for dins, lotsa seafood, book for sunset aka 8pm onwards and reap the crimson rewards. Match that sky to your cocktail and quaff a Negroni without a care in the world but what to have for dessert.
Drink
Kostantikos Cave Winery - only winery on island, fascinating to learn about the unique wines produced there. Everything is mega DRY, which saddened my little buttery/oaky-chardy-loving palate BUT European dry wines are significantly diff to those of Aus. I’m somehow a dry white wine drinker here, everything is sweet but not sickly and has a super clean finish. Dessert wines aren’t syrupy at all, they’re more like a rose/white hybrid, really cool. Do a set 7-wine tasting for 30euro, or you can do a 4 i think…and you can also split a tasting with someone. Have a stroll down to the vineyard and wander into the cave (styled as a store/place for hosted tours, which I don’t think are necessary but actively used for labour and winemaking outside of those).
Okto, Trypti - cocktails at sunset and/or dins (essential to book for meal, could walk in early for a quick bev if you’re lucky). Most majestic backdrop, jaw-dropping vistas, 11/10 people-watching, just exploding with romance. You can see the mountains, the glass-like sheet of blue, the crimson creeping into the horizon, the old ruins of the building next door, hear the church bells gong, etc. Felt closer to heaven up here.
Do (condensed version)
Odysseus boat tour (full-day edition) - takes you around to some epic island spots inaccessibly by car/walk/ATV. SOOOOOOO crucial for your best Island Girl sliving and the most lush day, but she’s a long one! Head up the hill in the port of Adamas post-float for a cocktail on the hill and take in the scenic island surrounds from a higher vantage point. Still felt the boat rocking at this point so it was good to sit the booty down and get a look at those majestic mountains in the distance.
Sarakiniko Beach - in your car/ATV, ensure you get to (moon-like Insta-famous cavernous swimming spot, jump off the rocks, and don’t forget to hold ya nose! This was a reverie, get in EARLY or at sunset. Wasn’t that hectic at all around 11am for us).
Firopotamos Beach - I dare you to navigate your way here without calling it hippopotamus beach!!! The MVP for a lazy day on the sand, completely gasp-inducing water and neighboured by only a few tiny beach homes. There is a bit of shade here with dangly trees but nowhere to grab snacks/water etc so BYO and lock in. Adored her, just faultless
